Fuel pump housing

ABSTRACT

A fuel pump housing includes a body that has a bottom portion. A fuel filter is located adjacent the bottom portion, and contacts the body so that electricity, such as static electricity, is conducted between the body and the fuel filter. A ground connection dissipates, or limits, electricity in both the body and the fuel filter.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Applicants claim priority of German Patent Application No. 10 2007 015950.3, filed Apr. 3, 2007.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to automotive fuel supply systems, andmore particularly to fuel pump housings used in automotive fuel supplysystems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many automotive fuel supply systems include a fuel tank for storingfuel. In one arrangement, a fuel delivery module including, among otherthings, a housing, a fuel pump, and a fuel filter may be suspendedwithin the fuel tank. In another arrangement, the fuel pump may bearranged in-line with one or more fuel delivery lines. In operation,fuel typically travels through the fuel filter, into the fuel pump, andto an internal combustion engine. The traveling fuel often createsstatic electricity in the fuel filter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of a fuel pump housing may include a body, a fuel filter,and a ground connection. The body may have a bottom portion. The fuelfilter may be located at or near the bottom portion where it can be incontact with the body so that electricity, such as static electricity,is conducted between the fuel filter and the body. The ground connectionmay help dissipate electricity that may be present in both the body andthe fuel filter.

One embodiment of an assembly may include a housing and a fuel pump. Thehousing may include a body with a bottom portion, and may include a fuelfilter. The fuel filter may be located at or near the bottom portion,and may conduct electricity, such as static electricity, to the housing.The housing, the fuel filter, or both may also include a single groundconnection in order to dissipate electricity that may be present in boththe housing and the fuel filter. The fuel pump may be held at leastpartially within the housing.

One embodiment of an assembly may include a housing and a fuel pump. Thehousing may include a body with a bottom portion, and may include a fuelfilter. The fuel filter may be located at or near the bottom portion,and may conduct electricity, such as static electricity, to the body.The housing may also include a single ground connection in order todissipate static electricity that may be present in both the body andthe fuel filter. The housing may further include a connecting devicethat may extend between the body and the ground connection. Theconnecting device may conduct electricity between the body and theground connection. The fuel pump may be held at least partially withinthe housing

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following detailed description of preferred embodiments and bestmode will be set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a cross-section of an embodiment of a fuel pump housing;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of an embodiment of a fuel pump housing; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of an embodiment of a fuel pump housing havinga fuel pump therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In general, and before referring to the drawing figures, various exampleembodiments of a holder or housing 10 are shown and described. Thehousing 10 may be used in a fuel delivery module or sender unit of anautomotive fuel supply system, and may be disposed in communication withor in a fuel tank. The housing 10 may have a simple design and a compactstructure. A fuel filter 12 and a body 14 of the housing 10 may conductelectricity between each other, and a ground connection 16 may helpdissipate electricity present in both the fuel filter and the body.

As shown in FIG. 3, a fuel pump 18 can be secured in the housing 10, orthe housing can secure parts of the fuel pump. The fuel pump 18 providesthe suction and drive needed to take fuel out of the fuel tank anddeliver fuel to an internal combustion engine. The fuel pump 18 may beof the in-tank type, and the electric type having an electric motor thatis powered by a vehicle power supply, such as a battery 20. The fuelpump 18 may have an inlet 22 for drawing-in fuel, and may have an outlet24 for discharging fuel out of an outlet or discharge line 26. One ormore retaining devices 28 may hold the fuel pump 18 in-place inside ofthe housing 10, or a fitting (not shown) around the discharge line 26may suspend the fuel pump in the housing. A negative terminal 30 may belocated on the fuel pump 18. A connecting device 32 may connect the fuelpump 18 with the body 14, such as by a terminal lug. The connectingdevice 32 may ground the fuel pump 18 to the body 14.

The body 14 receives the fuel pump 18 or parts of the fuel pump, and mayprovide the structure of the housing 10. In one example, the body 14 maybe composed of an electrically conductive material such as a metal likesteel or aluminum. The body 14 may be formed by various metal formingprocesses such as by deep-drawing a metal sheet into a generallycylindrical shape. Referring to FIG. 1, the body 14 may have a topportion 34 that may define an opening 36 for the discharge line 26 andfor electrical wires providing power to the fuel pump 18. The body mayalso have a bottom portion 38 that may define an opening (not shown) fora feed line (also not shown). The top portion 34 may define otheropenings for other lines or for the electrical wires, or the top portionmay define an open top. In other embodiments, the top portion 34 and thebottom portion 38 may be separate components that are subsequentlyattached together. In this case, the top portion 34 and the bottomportion 38 may be in contact with each other such that electricityconducts through and between the portions.

The fuel filter 12 helps screen out contaminants that may otherwiseenter into the fuel pump 18 or into the housing 10. The fuel filter 12may have various embodiments. In the example of FIG. 1, the fuel filter12 may be integral with, or may be a part of, the body 14; that is, thefuel filter may not necessarily be a component that is separate from thebody. A plurality of pores or openings 42 may be formed in the bottomportion 38 by a punching process, a laser cutting process, or by anyother suitable forming process. The openings 42 may be disposed about amajority of the area of the bottom portion 38, may be disposed on only asection of the bottom portion, or may be disposed partly on a side walladjacent the bottom portion. The openings 42 may be sized anddimensioned to allow fuel to enter into the housing 10, and to excludeother larger particles. When in use, static electricity may build-up oraccumulate in the fuel filter 12 by fuel flowing through it. Such staticelectricity may be dissipated, or dispersed, through the body 14. Thismay limit electricity build-up in the fuel filter 12 and may helpprevent static discharge at the fuel filter.

In the example of FIG. 2, the fuel filter 12 may constitute an insert inthe sense that the fuel filter may be a separate component that issubsequently attached to the bottom portion 38. For example, a largeropening 44 may be formed in the bottom portion 38 by a punching process,a laser cutting process, or by any other suitable forming process. Theopening 44 may be a single opening or may have more than one opening.The opening 44 may extend over a majority of the area of the bottomportion 38, may extend over only a section of the bottom portion, or mayextend partly on the side wall adjacent the bottom portion. A mesh-likematerial, such as a film or a screen 46, may be attached to the bottomportion 38 and may extend over the opening 44 in order to separatecontaminants out of the fuel flowing through it. The screen 46 may beattached to the bottom portion 38 by caulking, crimping, overmolding itsperimeter, welding (e.g., by weld spots 48), or other suitable attachingmethods. In at least some of these examples, the screen 46 may beinserted in notches (not shown) defined in a surface of the opening 44.The screen 46 may be composed of an electrically conductive materialsuch as a metal like steel or aluminum. When in use, static electricitymay build-up or accumulate in the screen 46 by fuel flowing through it.Such static electricity may be dissipated, or dispersed, through thebody 14 as the screen may be in contact with the body at its attachmentpoints. This may limit electricity build-up in the fuel filter 12 andmay help prevent static discharge at the fuel filter.

The ground connection 16 may help limit the build-up of staticelectricity in the housing 10, and in both the fuel filter 12 and thebody 14. The ground connection 16 may dissipate, or disperse, staticelectricity through itself and to whatever the ground connection isconnected to. The ground connection 16 may be a single groundconnection, and may constitute the only ground connection for thehousing 10. That is, there may be no need to have a separate ground foreach of the body 14 and the fuel filter 12.

The ground connection 16 may have various embodiments. In the example ofFIGS. 1 and 2, the ground connection 16 may include the connectingdevice 32 in order to link the housing 10 or the fuel filter 12 withanother component. For example, the connecting device 32 may have ametal screw 50, one or more terminal lugs, and an electric wire 52; inanother embodiment, the connecting device may include a stainless steelstrip or sheet. The metal screw 50 may be fastened to the body 14, andthe electric wire 52 may extend to another component. Static electricitymay travel from the body 14, through the metal screw 50 and the electricwire 52, and to the particular component. For example, the connectingdevice 32 may extend to the vehicle power supply, such as the battery20, and the ground connection 16 may be formed where the battery isground. As another example, the connecting device 32 may extend to abody of the vehicle, and the ground connection 16 may be formed thereat.In another example, the connecting device 32 may extend to a negativeterminal of a vehicle accumulator. Still in other examples, the groundconnection 16 may be formed without the connecting device 32, where thebody 14 may be directly contacting a component such as the body of thevehicle. In this case, static electricity may travel between aninterface of the body 14 and the vehicle body.

In another embodiment, the housing 10 may constitute the outer housingor casing of the fuel pump 18. In this case, the impeller or runninggears and other internals of the fuel pump 18 may be directly supportedin the housing 10 without any other intermediate housing. The variouslydescribed fuel filters 12 and ground connections 16 may be used in thisembodiment.

While the forms of the invention herein disclosed constitute presentlypreferred embodiments, many others are possible. It is not intendedherein to mention all the possible equivalent forms or ramifications ofthe invention. It is understood that the terms used herein are merelydescriptive, rather than limiting, and that various changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

1. A fuel pump housing, comprising: a body of an electrically conductivematerial having a bottom portion; a fuel filter located at the bottomportion, and being in contact with the body whereby electricity isconducted therebetween; and a ground connection contacting at least oneof the body or the fuel filter to dissipate electricity in both the bodyand the fuel filter.
 2. The fuel pump housing of claim 1 wherein thebottom portion defines a plurality of openings that constitute the fuelfilter.
 3. The fuel pump housing of claim 1 wherein the fuel filterextends over an opening that is defined in the bottom portion.
 4. Thefuel pump housing of claim 3 wherein the fuel filter is a film attachedover the opening.
 5. The fuel pump housing of claim 3 wherein the fuelfilter is a screen attached over the opening.
 6. The fuel pump housingof claim 1 wherein the ground connection is a single ground connectionand is the only ground connection for the body and the fuel filter. 7.The fuel pump housing of claim 1 wherein the ground connection is formedby direct contact between the body and a vehicle body.
 8. The fuel pumphousing of claim 1 further comprising a connecting device extendingbetween the body and the ground connection.
 9. The fuel pump housing ofclaim 8 wherein the connecting device includes a screw and an electricwire.
 10. The fuel pump housing of claim 8 wherein the ground connectionis formed at a vehicle power supply.
 11. The fuel pump housing of claim8 wherein the ground connection is formed at a negative terminal of afuel pump.
 12. The fuel pump housing of claim 8 wherein the groundconnection is formed at a vehicle body.
 13. An assembly, comprising: ahousing having a body with a bottom portion, the housing having a fuelfilter located at the bottom portion and conducting electricity to thebody, the housing also having a single ground connection directlycontacting one or both of the fuel filter and the body, the groundconnection being adapted to contact ground in order to dissipateelectricity in both the body and the fuel filter; and a fuel pump heldat least partially within the housing.
 14. The assembly of claim 13wherein the ground connection dissipates static electricity that isgenerated in the fuel filter.
 15. The assembly of claim 13 wherein thebottom portion defines a plurality of openings that constitute the fuelfilter.
 16. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the fuel filter extendsover an opening that is defined in the bottom portion.
 17. The assemblyof claim 13 further comprising a connecting device extending between thebody and the ground connection.
 18. The assembly of claim 17 wherein theground connection is formed at a vehicle power supply.
 19. The assemblyof claim 17 wherein the ground connection is formed at a negativeterminal of the fuel pump.
 20. An assembly, comprising: a housing havinga body with a bottom portion, the housing having a fuel filter locatedat the bottom portion to conduct electricity to the body, the housingalso having a single ground connection that dissipates staticelectricity in the body and in the fuel filter, and the housing having aconnecting device extending between the body and the ground connectionto conduct electricity therebetween; and a fuel pump held at leastpartially within the housing.